Multi-purpose article of furniture

ABSTRACT

Multi-purpose article of furniture which doubles as a portable bar, a TV carrier, a magazine rack, a coffee table or a seat and consists of a box-like body with removable tray-like lid, said lid having a bevelled perimeter which mates with the edges of the vertical walls. The floor may have a sunken portion and the casters for the body may be replaced with U-shaped connectors which permit the arrangement of a plurality of articles into aesthetically different combinations.

0 I i United States Patent 1 3,726,535 Longato 5] Apr. 10, 1973 [5MULTI-PURPOSE ARTICLE OF 2,467,392 4 1949 Kinberg ..220/42 0 FURNITURE3,487,495 1/1970 Schultz ..16/39 [76] Inventor: Giuseppe Longato, viaMakalle l9, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Padova, Italy 808,001 3/1969Canada ..220/42 E 1 Ffled: y' 1971 20,834 5/1908 Great Britain ..l6/31R[21] Appl. No.: 139,630

Primary Examiner--Ben amm Hersh Assistant Examiner-D. M. Mitchell [30]Foreign Application Priority Data Attorney clario Ceccon July 15, 1970Italy ..5l'83A/70 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl 280/34 R, 16/ 18, 280/47.l8,Mulfi-purpose article of furniture which doubles as a 280/403 portablebar, a TV carrier, a magazine rack, a coffee [51] 11!. Cl. ..B62b 3/02table or a seat and consists of a box-like body with [5 Field of 9-79-2, 47-38, removable tray-like lid, said lid having a bevelled 280/34R, 408, 47.18; 220/42 B, 42 C, 42 E, perimeter which mates with theedges of the vertical 23.4, 20; 215/47; 16/18, 29, 3 31, 37, 38, walls.The floor may have a sunken portion and the 42 42 T casters for the bodymay be replaced with U-shaped connectors which permit the arrangement ofa plurali- [56] References Cmed ty of articles into aestheticallydifferent combinations. UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Claims 8 Drawing figures331,211 11/1885 Osbornetal 16/29 966,258 8/1910 Sochurek .....220/202,078,096 4/1937 Parkin ..220/2O 2,274,048 2/1942 Derman ..280/79 2PATENTED APR 1 01875 SHEET 1 UF 2 PATENTEU APR 1 01973 SHEET 2 0F 2 I Il I I I I l 1 MULTI-IURPOSE ARTICLE FURNITURE FIELD OF THE INVENTION Thepresent invention relates to an article of furniture with a multiplicityof adaptations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Briefly stated, the present inventionprovides for an article of furniture, preferably of pre-fabricatedplastic materialand preferably of substantially cubic configuration,mounted on casters. The box-like article has a removable upper lid andits upper surface, resting perfectly on the upper edges of the fourvertical walls or surfaces, preferably has a border or rim, so that whenremoved, it serves the purpose of a tray. When positioned on thesupporting vertical surfaces, the lid doubles as a slat and may beadapted to receive an appropriately shaped cushion. The cooperation ofthe lid with the supporting walls is ensured by the slant of the edgesor rims of the walls and of the lid, the said slant being in adownwardly and outwardly direction.

The inside base or floor of the box-like article has a portion thereofsomewhat sunk with respect to the rest of the base, so as to adaptitself to receiving, for example, a number of bottles and serving thepurpose of a portable bar. Furthermore, the casters may be removed andreplaced by U-shaped members, thus permitting the assembly of aplurality of articles to obtain an ensemble thereof.

It can be readily seen that, by combining a number of these box-likearticles, one may concurrently obtain the combination of a coffee table,a bar, a TV carriage, etc. and may rearrange the location of one articlewith respect to the coassembled other ones by swinging the variousarticles pivotably on the U-shaped members.

THE DRAWINGS These and other objects of the invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description thereof with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the article of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of FIG. 1';

FIG. 3 shows in section an exploded view of the edges of the lid andsupporting wall of the article, with the cooperating and matingconstruction thereof;

FIG. 4 shows in detail and cross-sectionally the assembly of a caster tothe body of the article;

FIG. 5 shows in elevation and partly in cross-section two articlesassembled together by means of a U- shaped member;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a U-shaped member for connecting twoarticles to each other; and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are plan views of different assemblies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION- The article of furniture of thepresent invention comprises a box-like body 1, preferably of cubicconfiguration and pre-fabricated from plastic material. On thesupporting walls 3 of the article there is provided a bevelled edge 4which is slanting outwardly and downwardly. On the inside floor or base5 of the article, there is provided a sunken section 5 of predeterminedarea. Beneath the floor 5 and substantially-at the four corners of thearticle there are provided four bushings 6 as integral part of thearticle, each bushing having a pivot 7. On these pivots are removablyattached the casters 8 which allow the article to be rolled about thefloor. The pivot 7 mounted at one side on the caster 8 and at the otherside in the bushing 6 may be readily removable and may have a centralwasher (not numbered). Alternatively, the pivot 7 may be rigidlyconnected to either the bushing 6 or the caster 8 (and member 15, whenthis replaces the caster).

The upper surface of the article 1 is provided with a lid 9, with rimsso as to conform the lid to a tray-like object. The perimetric portionof lid 9, indicated at 11, is so shaped as to mate the bevelled edge 4of the vertical walls 3. The lid 9 is simply mounted upon walls 3 forsecure and perfect assembly. Retained by the upwardly extending rim ofthe lid 9 there may be a cushion so as to convert the tray 9 into acomfortable seat. The particular bevelling of the edge 4 and perimeterl1 ensures that the lid will not slide off the article.

When the article is employed also as a portable bar, the bottles arepositioned within the sunken area 5' of the article 1. When the articleis employed as a magazine rack or as a planter, the lid 9 is removedtherefrom.

When the article is utilized with other ones, one or more casters 8areremoved and the U-shaped members 15 are attached in their place. Theaction of the member 15 is such that one article 1 can pivot about thePivot 7 where such member 15 is attached. This action permits changes ofarrangement of the articles with resultant aesthetic modifications. Thiscan be readily seen from FIGS. 7 and 8.

What is claimed and is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A multi-purpose article of furniture which comprises the combinationof: A a. at least two bodies each having a floor, a plurality ofsubstantially vertical walls and a removable lid; b. a plurality ofbushings depending downwardly from said floor;

c. pin means secured to each of said bushings;

d. a plurality of removable casters secured to at least some of said pinmeans; and

e. U-shaped connector means for pivotly coupling selected ones of saidpin means to which said casters are not secured whereby adjacent ones ofsaid bodies are relatively movable, one with respect to the other.

2. The article according to claim 1, wherein said lid is peripherallycrowned to obtain a snug fitting against the inner surfaces of the saidwalls.

3. The article in accordance with claim 1, wherein said walls havebevelled upper edges slanting outwardly and downwardly and saidremovable lid has its perimeter bevelled to mate with said edges of saidwalls.

4. The article according to claim 1, wherein said edges of said wallsand said perimeter of said lid are aligned with one another to form asmooth and continuous surface.

5. The article according to claim 1, wherein said floor has a sectionthereof sunken with respect to the remaining floor area.

6. The article according to claim 1, wherein said bodies have a cubicshaped volume and said bushings are located in the corners thereof.

7. The article in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pin means areremovable.

1. A multi-purpose article of furniture which comprises the combinationof: a. at least two bodies each having a floor, a plurality ofsubstantially vertical walls and a removable lid; b. a plurality ofbushings depending downwardly from said floor; c. pin means secured toeach of said bushings; d. a plurality of removable casters secured to atleast some of said pin means; and e. U-shaped connector means forpivotly coupling selected ones of said pin means to which said castersare not secured whereby adjacent ones of said bodies are relativelymovable, one with respect to the other.
 2. The article according toclaim 1, wherein said lid is peripherally crowned to obtain a snugfitting against the inner surfaces of the said walls.
 3. The article inaccordance with claim 1, wherein said walls have bevelled upper edgesslanting outwardly and downwardly and said removable lid has itsperimeter bevelled to mate with said edges of said walls.
 4. The articleaccording to claim 1, wherein said edges of said walls and saidperimeter of said lid are aligned with one another to form a smooth andcontinuous surface.
 5. The article according to claim 1, wherein saidfloor has a section thereof sunken with respect to the remaining floorarea.
 6. The article according to claim 1, wherein said bodies have acubic shaped volume and said bushings are located in the cornersthereof.
 7. The article in accordance with claim 1, wherein said pinmeans are removable.